Aaron Under Construction

Aaron Under Construction
Marin Thomas

More Than The House Is Under Construction!A penthouse condo, the corner office–life was easy for Aaron, the youngest McKade brother, who by his own admission sometimes rode on the coattails of his wealthy family. Until his grandfather exiled him to a job building homes in the barrio of south central L.A., that is. Not knowing the difference between a nail and a screw made things tough–but not nearly as tough as figuring out Jennifer Alvarado, the curvaceous Latina in charge of the crew.Despite her suspicion that he'd never done an honest day's work, Jennifer decided to give Aaron a break. Yet even after the mystery rookie had worked overtime to prove his newfound sense of responsibility, she wasn't ready to lower her guard. Because Jennifer had learned the hard way that love without trust was a house without a foundation…and too easy to tear down.The McKade Brothers

“I can explain everything—eventually.”

“Doesn’t matter, Aaron. We’re too different.”

“I assume you don’t have a problem with my being white.”

“I don’t.”

“Then…”

“We come from such different backgrounds. I don’t have any idea what line of work you were in before you hired on with my crew, but you sure as heck must have made good money to buy the entire twentieth floor of a building.”

“I’m not a drug dealer. You have to believe me, Jennifer. I’d never do anything illegal.”

“I do believe you.”

“Then give me the opportunity to prove myself. Help me, Jenny. Help us. Tell me what to do to win your trust.”

The lump in her throat made swallowing impossible. Trusting Aaron wasn’t the issue.

It was trusting herself…

Dear Reader,

In 1992 America experienced one of its worst riots of the twentieth century, near the intersection of Florence and Normandie in south central Los Angeles. Spurred by the acquittals of most of the policemen accused of beating Rodney King, the riot left fifty-four dead and about $1 billion worth of buildings and merchandise torched or plundered.

As one who watched the horrific images on TV, I assumed that the residents who had suffered through that traumatic event would sell their homes and move to a safer neighborhood. Surprisingly, most of the people there stayed.

The human spirit is an amazing thing. The residents of south central L.A. neighborhoods face challenges unheard of in other communities across America. Yet the media and popular culture have distorted the image of the area, drawing a bleak, despairing picture of the neighborhoods and communities, when in truth, the areas exhibit unique, rich cultural histories that reflect the residents who live there—African-Americans and Latinos. Today, largely due to the pride and determination of their residents, these neighborhoods in south central L.A. once again flourish.

I hope you enjoy Aaron McKade’s story as he experiences this unique area of L.A. and falls in love with a Latino woman, whose spirit of giving inspires him and many others.

I love to hear from readers. Please visit me at www.marinthomas.com or e-mail marin@marinthomas.com.

Happy reading!

Marin

Aaron Under Construction

Marin Thomas

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

To Associate Senior Editor Kathleen Scheibling and Editor Beverley Sotolov.

Thank you for making The McKade Brothers series a reality. Your support is deeply appreciated.

Books by Marin Thomas

HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

1024—THE COWBOY AND THE BRIDE

1050—DADDY BY CHOICE

1079—HOMEWARD BOUND

Contents

Chapter One (#u94004d10-4faa-510e-b511-f27a1afc21f3)

Chapter Two (#u91824c9b-3f84-5e9d-b7c6-9d7ac275413b)

Chapter Three (#u0878e47c-be60-5ed2-bd5a-67625b60eada)

Chapter Four (#u8891cc83-6bad-5995-9865-571d9f72b56f)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One

What the hell am I doing here?

If his grandfather hadn’t lost his mind, Aaron McKade wouldn’t be stuck in Monday-morning bumper-to-bumper Los Angeles traffic. Instead, he’d be managing the West Coast branch of the family business—McKade Import-Export, an office that served as an agent for companies seeking Latin American markets for their products.

Perturbed with the recent turn of events in his life, he clenched his jaw and studied his surroundings—his new place of work. Santa Angelita, the South Central Los Angeles barrio, was worlds away from the affluent Bunker Hill District where he lived in the famous Bradshaw Building.